Whirlaway (USA)
April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953
Blenheim II (GB) x Dustwhirl (USA), by Sweep (USA)
Family 8-h
April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953
Blenheim II (GB) x Dustwhirl (USA), by Sweep (USA)
Family 8-h
A quirky, erratic runner whose trademark was his famous one-eyed blinker, Whirlaway was the first of two American Triple Crown winners for Calumet Farm. His idiosyncrasies nearly drove his connections crazy but endeared him to a generation of racing fans. Popularly known as “Mr. Longtail” and "Whirly," Whirlaway left his star standing behind at the track and was only a moderately successful sire.
Race record
60 starts, 32 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds, US$561,161
1940:
1941:
1942:
Honors
Assessments
Whirlaway was ranked #26 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1940.
As an individual
Whirlaway stood 15.3 hands. He was a short-coupled, well-balanced chestnut with an iron constitution, but according to Calumet trainer Ben Jones, he was also "the dumbest horse I ever trained." He was highly strung as well and required extremely patient handling. He needed a great deal of repetition to learn anything and could be thrown into a tantrum by any deviation from his normal routine. Because Whirlaway was strictly a one-run horse (although he could turn on his sharp turn of foot at any point in a race), Ben Jones left his tail long and uncut (the source of Whirlaway's nickname “Mr. Longtail”) to discourage other horses from running up on Whirlaway's heels and perhaps throwing him off stride. He was not a particularly game horse and tended to throw in the towel if hooked.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Whirlaway sired 132 winners (72.9%) and 18 stakes winners (9.9%) from 181 named foals. Despite his excellent initial opportunities, only the filly Scattered came anywhere close to his own quality, and he appeared to pass on his own mental limitations to some of his stock.
Sire rankings
Per The Blood-Horse:
Notable progeny
Rock Drill (USA), Scattered (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Here and There (USA), Lady Pitt (USA)
Connections
Whirlaway was bred and owned by Calumet Farm and was trained by Ben Jones. He entered stud at Calumet in 1944 and was initially given the farm's best mares but was soon displaced as Calumet's premier sire by Bull Lea. Whirlaway was leased to Marcel Boussac in 1950 and exported to Boussac's Haras le Fresnay-le-Buffard, France; Boussac later bought the horse outright in September 1952. Whirlaway achieved nothing of note in France and died on April 6, 1953, shortly after covering a mare. The cause of death is given in various sources as a heart attack or a rupture of nerve tissue.
Pedigree notes
Whirlaway is outcrossed through five generations. His full sister Whirl Right is the second dam of 1977 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Ruthies Native and the fourth dam of 1982 Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo. He is a half brother to 1936 Latonia Derby winner Reaping Reward (by Sickle) and the minor stakes winner Feudal Lord (by Stefan the Great). He is also a half brother to Lost Horizon (by Sir Gallahad III), dam of 1944 Gazelle Stakes winner Whirlabout, and to Panoramic (by Chance Shot), dam of the top-class race mare Honeymoon and two other stakes winners. Whirlaway's dam Dustwhirl is a half sister to the crack sprinter Osmand (by Sweeper II) and to 1936 Florida Derby winner Brevity (by Sickle), both runners-up in the Kentucky Derby.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: May 7, 2022
Race record
60 starts, 32 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds, US$561,161
1940:
- Won Saratoga Special (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Walden Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Breeders' Futurity (USA, 6FD, Keeneland)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Grand Union Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd United States Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Futurity Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Arlington Futurity (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- 3rd Pimlico Futurity (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
1941:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Chuchill Downs; new track record 2:01-2/5)
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won American Derby (USA, 10FD, Washington Park)
- Won Dwyer Stakes (USA, 10FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont)
- Won Travers Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Saranac Handicap (USA, 8FD, Saratoga)
- Won Special Event (USA, 9FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Classic Stakes (USA, 10FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Narragansett Special (USA, 9.5FD, Narragansett Park)
- 2nd Blue Grass Stakes (USA, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA, 16FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Derby Trial Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
1942:
- Won Massachusetts Handicap (USA, 9FD, Suffolk Downs; new track record 1:48-1/5)
- Won Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 10FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA, 16FD, Belmont)
- Won Narragansett Special (USA, 9.5FD, Narragansett Park)
- Won Dixie Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Louisiana Handicap (USA, 9FD, Fair Grounds)
- Won Washington Handicap (USA, 10FD, Laurel)
- Won Governor Bowie Handicap (USA, 13FD, Pimlico)
- Won Trenton Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- Won Clark Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Pimlico Special (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico; by walkover)
- 2nd Butler Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Empire City)
- 2nd Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Arlington Handicap (USA, 10FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Manhattan Handicap (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Riggs Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Phoenix Handicap (USA, 6FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd match race with Alsab (USA, 9.5FD, Narragansett Park)
- 3rd New York Handicap (USA, 18FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Carter Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1959)
- Fair Grounds Hall of Fame (inducted in 1991)
- Saratoga Hoofprints Walk of Fame (inducted as part of the inaugural class in 2013)
- American Horse of the Year (1941, 1942)
- American co-champion 2-year-old male (1940)
- American champion 3-year-old male (1941)
- American champion handicap male (1942)
Assessments
Whirlaway was ranked #26 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1940.
As an individual
Whirlaway stood 15.3 hands. He was a short-coupled, well-balanced chestnut with an iron constitution, but according to Calumet trainer Ben Jones, he was also "the dumbest horse I ever trained." He was highly strung as well and required extremely patient handling. He needed a great deal of repetition to learn anything and could be thrown into a tantrum by any deviation from his normal routine. Because Whirlaway was strictly a one-run horse (although he could turn on his sharp turn of foot at any point in a race), Ben Jones left his tail long and uncut (the source of Whirlaway's nickname “Mr. Longtail”) to discourage other horses from running up on Whirlaway's heels and perhaps throwing him off stride. He was not a particularly game horse and tended to throw in the towel if hooked.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Whirlaway sired 132 winners (72.9%) and 18 stakes winners (9.9%) from 181 named foals. Despite his excellent initial opportunities, only the filly Scattered came anywhere close to his own quality, and he appeared to pass on his own mental limitations to some of his stock.
Sire rankings
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 9th on the American general sire list in 1950.
Notable progeny
Rock Drill (USA), Scattered (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Here and There (USA), Lady Pitt (USA)
Connections
Whirlaway was bred and owned by Calumet Farm and was trained by Ben Jones. He entered stud at Calumet in 1944 and was initially given the farm's best mares but was soon displaced as Calumet's premier sire by Bull Lea. Whirlaway was leased to Marcel Boussac in 1950 and exported to Boussac's Haras le Fresnay-le-Buffard, France; Boussac later bought the horse outright in September 1952. Whirlaway achieved nothing of note in France and died on April 6, 1953, shortly after covering a mare. The cause of death is given in various sources as a heart attack or a rupture of nerve tissue.
Pedigree notes
Whirlaway is outcrossed through five generations. His full sister Whirl Right is the second dam of 1977 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Ruthies Native and the fourth dam of 1982 Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo. He is a half brother to 1936 Latonia Derby winner Reaping Reward (by Sickle) and the minor stakes winner Feudal Lord (by Stefan the Great). He is also a half brother to Lost Horizon (by Sir Gallahad III), dam of 1944 Gazelle Stakes winner Whirlabout, and to Panoramic (by Chance Shot), dam of the top-class race mare Honeymoon and two other stakes winners. Whirlaway's dam Dustwhirl is a half sister to the crack sprinter Osmand (by Sweeper II) and to 1936 Florida Derby winner Brevity (by Sickle), both runners-up in the Kentucky Derby.
Books and media
- Whirlaway: The Story of a Racehorse was written by Bert Clark Thayer. It was published by Duell, Sloan and Pierce in 1946.
- Here Comes Whirlaway!, a biography of the champion, was written by Fred C. Broadhead and published by Sunflower University Press in 1995.
- “Whirlaway” is chapter 5 in The Most Glorious Crown, by Marvin Drager (2005, Triumph Books).
- Whirlaway is the fifth of the 13 American Triple Crown winners featured in Edward Bowen's The Lucky 13: The Winners of America's Triple Crown of Horse Racing (2019, Lyon Press).
- Whirlaway's Kentucky Derby was profiled in “Mr. Longtail,” the 10th chapter of The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies. Written by the staff and correspondents of The Blood-Horse, the book was published by Eclipse Press in 2005.
- Whirlaway was profiled in Chapter 7 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
- Whirlaway is one of 50 Thoroughbreds profiled in Royal Blood: Fifty Years of Classic Thoroughbreds. Written by racing historian Jim Bolus with illustrations and commentary by noted equine artist Richard Stone Reeves, the book was released by The Blood-Horse, Inc., in 1994.
Fun facts
- Whirlaway was the first of a record eight homebred Kentucky Derby winners for Calumet Farm. The others were Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (1949), Hill Gail (1952), Iron Liege (1957), Tim Tam (1958) and Forward Pass (1968). The first five of this group were officially trained by Ben Jones, who had already trained 1938 winner Lawrin, giving him a record six Kentucky Derby wins as a trainer. (Jones' record was tied in 2020 when Bob Baffert scored his sixth Derby win with Authentic. In 2021, Baffert apparently gained a record-breaking seventh Derby win when Medina Spirit crossed the line first, but the victory was taken away via disqualification after the colt tested positive for the corticosteroid bethmethasone.) Calumet later bred 1991 Kentucky Derby winner Strike the Gold, and 2022 winner Rich Strike, but these colts raced for other owners.
- Whirlaway was the second Kentucky Derby winner for Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro, who had previously won the race with Lawrin (1938). "The Master" later won the race with Hoop, Jr. (1945), Citation (1948), and Hill Gail (1952), setting a Kentucky Derby record for victories by a jockey that was not tied until Bill Hartack won his fifth Kentucky Derby aboard Majestic Prince (1969).
- Whirlaway was the first of Eddie Arcaro's record six Preakness Stakes winners. The others were Citation (1948), Hill Prince (1950), Bold (1951), Nashua (1955), and Bold Ruler (1957).
- Whirlaway was also the first of eight Preakness Stakes winners raced by Calumet Farm. The others were Pensive (1944), Faultless (1947), Citation (1948), Fabius (1956), Tim Tam (1958), Forward Pass (1968), and Oxbow (2013). All but Oxbow were bred by Calumet.
- Whirlaway is the only horse to have won both the Triple Crown and the Travers Stakes.
- According to the New York Racing Association's 2016 Belmont Stakes media guide, Whirlaway raised US$5 million for war bonds while racing as a 4-year-old.
- The Whirlaway Stakes was inaugurated in 1980. It was last run in 2011 as a listed stakes for 3-year-olds over 8.5 furlongs on dirt at Aqueduct. A previous race called the Whirlaway Stakes was run at Arlington Park for ages 3 and up.
- Whirlaway was lucky to end his racing career with two eyes, as he had a small stone kicked into one eye during the running of the 1940 Hopeful Stakes. The injury was so serious that Calumet Farm called in eye specialists from human medicine to consult with the veterinarians managing the case. Fortunately, the eye recovered, if slowly, and Whirlaway regained normal vision as far as anyone could determine.
- Whirlaway bade farewell to racing at Arlington Park in 1943. He was paraded before the stands by his regular exercise rider, Albert "Pinky" Brown, before being wheeled into the winner's circle, where Warren Wright was presented with a portrait of the horse as the track band played "Auld Lang Syne."
- Whirlaway was fond of the stable Dalmatian at Calumet and could sometimes be seen lying down with the dog lying beside him and licking his face.
- Pinky Brown was the only man allowed to exercise Whirlaway except on those rare occasions when Ben Jones wanted him ridden by the jockey who would be handling him in the afternoon. He was considered so instrumental to the horse's success as a racehorse that after Whirlaway won the first two legs of the Triple Crown under Eddie Arcaro, Arcaro bought the exercise rider a watch costing US$75 (then considered an expensive timepiece) as a gift.
Last updated: May 7, 2022